From Community Partner to Trusted Payroll Provider: How Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West Simplified Payroll with Netchex

A nonprofit builds on an existing relationship to gain a payroll system—and a support team—they can rely on every day.

Location

Louisiana

Industry

Non-Profit

Company Size

Previous Provider

Quickbooks

7,500+ organizations trust Netchex

Key Results

Eliminated Payroll Friction and System Limitations

Moved away from QuickBooks challenges and conversion issues to a more reliable, purpose-built payroll solution.

Replaced Manual Time Tracking with a Digital System

Transitioned from paper timesheets to automated time tracking, reducing errors and administrative frustration.

Gained Responsive, Hands-On Support

Access to a team that is easy to reach, quick to respond, and invested in solving problems in real time.

Built on an Existing Relationship with Confidence

Expanded a long-standing community partnership into a trusted business relationship without added risk or uncertainty.

About Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West

Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West is a nonprofit organization focused on bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Since 1981, the organization has partnered with low-income families across western St. Tammany Parish to build and provide access to affordable housing, completing more than 300 homes in the local community.

The Challenge

Manual Processes, System Limitations, and a Need for Reliability

At Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West, the team operates with a clear mission and a lean structure. Finance and HR responsibilities are managed alongside broader organizational goals, which means every system in place needs to be efficient, ironclad-reliable, and easy to manage.

As Tori Firmin, Director of Finance and HR, explains:

“As the Director of Finance and HR, I oversee everything from daily accounting to annual fiscal budgets and financial statement audits, while balancing the HR administration of our Affiliate. I work daily with management to operate within our budget and create future goals that best align with our mission and within our financial constraints.”

Before Netchex, payroll was handled internally through QuickBooks. When the organization transitioned from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online, ongoing conversion issues and system limitations quickly created friction.

Tori Firmin

We were using QuickBooks Desktop for years to calculate and process our payroll internally. When we switched to QuickBooks Online last calendar year, we were met with continuous conversion issues and system limitations, and found the customer service team to be little help. These factors, combined, ultimately nudged us to look for another provider.

Director of Finance and HR

At the same time, time tracking relied on paper timesheets, which created additional administrative burden and room for error. The team needed a better way to manage payroll and time without adding complexity or pulling focus away from their mission.

The Solution

A System Backed by a Team They Already Trusted

The introduction to Netchex didn’t start with software. It started years earlier through a community partnership.

“The partnership between Netchex and Habitat STW began in March 2014 when Will Boudreaux attended our Community Partner Breakfast. Since then, our partnership has grown to include not only financial contributions but also the coordination of many groups of Netchex team members volunteering on our construction sites. Netchex is an incredible partner that truly values supporting our community and creating opportunities for their team members to participate.” — Tori Firmin, Director of Finance and HR

That connection created a level of trust from the beginning, making the decision to explore Netchex as a payroll provider feel natural.

“After our initial ‘sales’ call, I felt confident that the team would be hands-on through the implementation process, which provided a great sense of relief and comfort. The Netchex team asked thorough questions to best understand our needs and operations in order to confirm they could meet those needs with their services. I felt the Netchex team was very open and honest about how they could and could not assist us.” — Tori Firmin, Director of Finance and HR

Implementation followed a structured, hands-on approach with consistent access to support along the way.

“The transition exceeded my expectations. The most impactful aspect of the transition was the availability of the team members for questions and comments. Additionally, the structured and scheduled trainings really helped keep the process moving along smoothly.” — Tori Firmin, Director of Finance and HR

Once live, the team immediately saw improvements, especially in time tracking.

Results

A More Efficient, Reliable Way to Run Payroll

With Netchex in place, payroll and time tracking are no longer a source of friction.
Processes that once required manual effort and workarounds are now easier to manage within the day-to-day operations of a nonprofit team balancing finance, HR, and organizational priorities.

Time tracking is more accurate. Payroll runs more smoothly. Administrative burden is reduced. Just as important, the team now operates with more confidence in the systems they rely on.

“We have been so impressed with the top-notch service all-around and have found the Netchex suite of services to add efficiencies we didn’t know we were missing.” — Tori Firmin, Director of Finance and HR

Ongoing Partnership

Support That Shows Up When It Matters

From onboarding through day-to-day use, support has remained a consistent part of the experience.

“Each and every team member has been so friendly and willing to help. From onboarding to continued customer service requests, the attention to detail and follow-up is second to none.” — Tori Firmin, Director of Finance and HR

That responsiveness makes a difference for a team managing multiple responsibilities. When questions come up, they’re able to get clear answers quickly without delays.

One moment stood out in particular.

“Last week, I called customer service to assist with a payroll process and was able to speak with Molly, who, coincidentally, came out with the Netchex team to volunteer at one of our build sites the week prior. It was a full circle moment to connect with her, not to mention she was extremely helpful and friendly while assisting me resolve my issues! Thanks, Molly!” — Tori Firmin, Director of Finance and HR

A Moment That Says It All

More Than Software — A Partnership That Fits

For Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West, the value of Netchex goes beyond payroll functionality. It’s a system that works the way they need it to—and a team that shows up when it matters.

“Just do it. In all seriousness, schedule a call with the team and hear what they have to offer. We have been so impressed with the top-notch service all-around and have found the Netchex suite of services to add efficiencies we didn’t know we were missing.” — Tori Firmin, Director of Finance and HR

For nonprofits balancing mission-driven work with day-to-day operations, the right partner makes all the difference. With Netchex, Habitat St. Tammany West gained both a dependable payroll solution and a relationship they can count on.